Let's make it clear from the start: A recent Facebook post you may have seen your friends copying and pasting as their status declaring the social network does not have permission to own the content you post is a hoax.
This same false information has made the rounds before in years past, and thousands of people have fallen for it.
The latest variation of the hoax looks like this:
As of [date, in one example: September 27th, 2015 at 10:50 p.m. Eastern standard time], I do not give Facebook or any entities associated with Facebook permission to use my pictures, information, or posts, both past and future. By this statement, I give notice to Facebook it is strictly forbidden to disclose, copy, distribute, or take any other action against me based on this profile and/or its contents. The content of this profile is private and confidential information. The violation of privacy can be punished by law (UCC 1-308- 1 1 308-103 and the Rome Statute). NOTE: Facebook is now a public entity. All members must post a note like this. If you prefer, you can copy and paste this version. If you do not publish a statement at least once it will be tactically allowing the use of your photos, as well as the information contained in the profile status updates.
Some versions of the latest hoax even cite media outlets like "Channel 13 News." We're here to clear the air: The only reporting we're doing on this is letting you know this is a hoax, posting the above in your status won't change your privacy settings.
The so-called law cited in the above status is also fake. The truth is, a Facebook status usually won't back you up in court if it ever came to that.
If you want to know if a trending topic is real, sometimes a simple Internet search will give you the information needed to debunk the hoax. For one, Facebook will often post an alert when these hoaxes really get out of control, saying: "This is false. Anyone who uses Facebook owns and controls the content and information they post, as stated in our terms."
If you want to understand what Facebook can and cannot do with your information, pictures and other posts, you should read the site's Legal Terms. Here's the bottom line, straight from Facebook, regarding your content and information:
You own all of the content and information you post on Facebook, and you can control how it is shared through your privacy and application settings.
When you publish content or information using the Public setting, it means that you are allowing everyone, including people off of Facebook, to access and use that information, and to associate it with you (i.e., your name and profile picture).